


Life Changes

by caughtinthenow



Series: A Crew's Orgins [1]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: F/M, Fake AH Crew, Friends to Lovers, Geoff Ramsey-centric, Kid Gavin Free, MTF Jack, Minor Character Death, Papa Geoff Ramsey, Pre-Fake AH Crew, jumping around in time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2018-12-31 21:59:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12141990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caughtinthenow/pseuds/caughtinthenow
Summary: At twenty, Geoff has no idea what he's doing with his life. When a kid tries to steal candy from his store, he doesn't realize that is going to set off a chain reaction of events, including making a decision that will change his life for good.





	1. Meeting Gavin

If Geoff was being honest with himself, he knew there was no way he could take care of a kid. He was barely twenty and had no clue what he was doing with his life at that point. He still wasn’t sure how to take care of himself, surviving on ramen noodles and working long hours after class to put himself through school. If anything, he was simply exhausted.

He caught the kid trying to steal a candy bar from the gas station he worked at and looked absolutely terrified when Geoff caught him. He’d always had a soft spot for kids, and this kid looked desperate. Giving a small sigh, he had slipped one of his own dollars into the register and promptly asked the kid where his parents were. The kid just shrugged, looking down. So, he pushed, trying to get information out of the kid, but he learned fairly quickly that the kid didn’t say much. In fact, he wasn’t sure if the kid even knew how to talk.  The kid looked helpless.

He sat the kid down behind the counter, not sure what he was going to do with him. The kid didn’t say anything, just stared at his feet most of the shift, only getting up when he had to use the restroom. Eventually, his shift ended, and not a single person had come in looking for the kid. “I’ll take you home,” he replied gently. The kid continued to stare down, not saying anything. “Your parents have to be worried about you, kid,” he said softly. The kid glanced up, grimacing before he shook his head. “No?” he questioned. The kid shook his head again. “Why not?”

The kid bit his lip, looking hesitant. “They’re gone,” he mumbled, not looking directly at Geoff. The accent caught Geoff off guard, but he shook it off, kneeling to get on the same level as the kid.

“So, you do speak,” he hummed softly. “What do you mean they’re gone?” he asked, looking at the kid with concern. Again, the kid shrugged.

“They’re gone,” he repeated. Geoff let out a long sigh. Standing up, he motioned for the kid to follow him. He’d figure this shit out in the morning, he decided. The two quietly walked to Geoff’s apartment, neither saying a word.

Figuring out how to take care of a kid was harder than he thought. He boiled a pack of ramen noodles, glancing towards the kid currently sitting in his Livingroom staring at the floor. When the noodles were finished, he portioned out two bowls, and carefully carried them to the couch. The boy’s eyes looked up to him, lighting up as he saw the second bowl. Geoff smiled slightly, handing over a bowl. The kid didn’t even hesitate to take the bowl, instead immediately starting to scarf down the noodles. “Slow down kid, you’re going to burn the inside of your mouth,” he sighed, shaking his head as he started to eat his own noodles.

They sat in silence for a bit, eating their noodles. “What’s your name?” Geoff asked. The kid hesitated, much like he had earlier.

“Gavin,” he mumbled. Geoff studied Gavin for a moment. The kid didn’t look more than eight or nine, maybe ten.

“Hi Gavin, I’m Geoff,” he murmured, giving the kid a warm smile. Gavin just nodded, going back to eating his noodles. He couldn’t help but stare slightly, wondering where Gavin’s parents were. The two finished their noodles, and Geoff stood up, reaching out to take the bowl from Gavin. Reluctantly, Gavin handed the bowl over. “You can stay here tonight if you want, Gavin. We’ll figure out where your parents are tomorrow, okay?” he announced. Gavin let out a long sigh.

“They’re gone,” he reminded softly. Geoff grimaced. “They left me here,” he mumbled. Geoff sucked in a deep breath, knowing what that meant. Getting up, he went to his room, and rummaged around, looking for a pillow and blanket for the kid.

He returned, setting it down on the couch, looking at Gavin. “If you want, you can take a shower,” he informed. The kid looked slightly nervous. “I’ll find you something to wear, and we could wash your clothes tomorrow, okay?” he sighed out, looking at the kid tiredly.

He knew that he wasn’t handling this correctly. For all he knew, the kid was lying and his poor parents were out looking for him and this would just end badly for him. He was grateful that he wasn’t scheduled to work the next morning, and didn’t have classes until noon. He was sure it was going to be a long night.

\--

After the kid had showered and settled down, he noticed it didn’t take long for the kid to fall asleep. He noticed that the kid had been carrying around a backpack, which had been carefully tucked against the couch. Hesitating, he reached for it, hoping that maybe he’d find something that would tell him about the kid. Most of it was useless, and he wasn’t sure if he was going to find anything on the kid until he came across a small card tucked into a pocket.

It was one of those cards most parents put into their children’s backpack, contact information sprawled neatly on the card. Feeling relieved, he was grateful he could get the mess figured out. Pocketing the card, he put the bag back and wandered off to his room. Climbing into bed, he stared up at the ceiling, trying to figure out what the kid really had meant about his parents being gone.

Eventually, he dozed off, forgetting about the kid currently sleeping on the couch.

\--

When he woke up the next morning, his initial reaction was to check on the kid. He was relieved to see Gavin still curled up on the couch where he had left him the night before. Biting his lip, he returned to his room and pulled out his phone to call the number that had been written on the card. The number rang and rang, but no one picked up. Frustrated, he tried to call again. No answer.

Hesitating, he studied the address. It wasn’t far, he was sure that he could walk to the house and be back before Gavin woke up. He slipped out of his apartment quietly and quickly walked down the street.

When he eventually arrived, it looked as though the house hadn’t been maintained or that anyone had been there in a couple of days. A neighbor sitting on her porch looked at him, looking slightly interested in why he was there. “If you’re looking for the Frees, they’re not here,” she announced, looking slightly sad. Geoff blinked slightly, confused.

“Do you know when they’ll be back?” he asked. The lady sighed, looking down.

“The whole family is gone, it was a huge freak accident apparently. Last I saw them was yesterday, but the couple was on the news this morning. The whole family passed away. It was a terrible loss, they were such a sweet couple and their son was a cutie,” the lady admitted sadly. Geoff swallowed hard, not sure if he understood what he was hearing.

“Oh,” he murmured, looking down. He felt sick to his stomach, not sure he really understood what was happening. He left quickly, thanking the lady for telling him.  She looked at him strangely but told him he was welcome. He raced back to his apartment, praying the kid was still asleep.

When he arrived, the kid was sitting up, back to staring at his feet. He briefly looked up when Geoff walked back in, but was back to staring at his feet. Geoff let out a long sigh, plopping down next to Gavin. “Gavin, does anyone know where you are?” he asked softly. Gavin shook his head. “Do you have someone you can call?” he asked. Gavin shook his head again. “What about a grandparent? Or maybe an uncle or aunt?” he continued to prompt. Again, Gavin shook his head.

“Mum and dad never talked to any of them. Never met any of them,” he admitted softly. Geoff slouched slightly. This was almost too much for him.

“Okay well, why don’t we go talk to the police, they’ll be able to help us find someone from your family,” he said softly. Gavin’s eyes went wide, shaking his head. “Why not?” he asked. Gavin looked reluctant again, unsure if he should say anything.

“Dad said the police here are bad people and that I shouldn’t trust them,” he whimpered softly. Geoff sighed out. The kid had a point. He knew that LSPD was corrupt, any civilian knew that, but they were still the police.

“We have to do something Gavin, I can’t just keep you here, that could get both of us in trouble,” he mumbled. Gavin slumped slightly.

“Don’t make me go to them, please...” the kid begged, looking at Geoff desperately. Geoff wasn’t entirely sure why the kid was so desperate. He closed his eyes, knowing he really should take the kid to the police, that was the responsible thing to do, especially since he was pretty sure he couldn’t take care of a kid. Still, the kid looked terrified.

\--

Eventually, the two had marched down to the laundry room in his apartment building, washing both of their clothes. Geoff wasn’t entirely sure what he was going to do. He knew he couldn’t just leave the kid at home, yet he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to bring the kid to class and work.

Reluctantly, he pulled his phone out, scrolling through his contacts till he found who he was looking for. The phone rang over and over until finally, he heard the familiar sound of his friend.

“Hello?” a female voice called out.

“Hey, Jack, uh, are you busy?” he asked. Jack didn’t respond at first.

“Well, I was working on homework but otherwise not really. What’s going on?” she asked. Geoff glanced at the kid, who was watching the clothes tumble in the dryer.

“Could you come over? I really need a favor from you,” he mumbled. There was a long sigh and a rustle on the other side of the phone.

“I’ll be there in ten,” she murmured.

“Thanks.”

\--

Jack stared at the kid, looking back and forth between Geoff and Gavin. “You’re kidding, right?” she said quietly. Geoff shook his head, reaching out. He gently pulled Jack away and shook his head.

“Jack…I don’t know what to do. I tried to find the kids family, but according to the neighbor, they’re dead, but then again, according to the neighbor, so is Gavin, so I’m not sure what to say there. I was going to take him to LSPD, but the kid was really against that,” he explained. Jack glanced at Gavin, frowning.

“You can’t just keep him, Geoff. He’s not a stray kitten, you can’t just take him in and not report it,” she said softly. Geoff shrugged.

“I know, but what am I supposed to do? The kid begged me not to take him to the police,” he murmured. Jack glanced back at the kid. Suddenly a loud beep echoed through the laundry room, warning that the clothes were almost dry. “Look, I have class in an hour and then I have work until midnight. I could probably keep the kid at work, but I can’t bring him to class and I’d honestly do whatever you wanted me to do for you if you could just watch the kid till I go to work, and then bring him to the convenience store afterward?” he asked, looking desperate.

Jack just shrugged, nodding. “Sure. You owe me, but sure,” she replied. He grinned, reaching for his best friend. He hugged her tightly and then marched over to Gavin.

“Hey, Gavin? This is my friend Jack. She’s really cool. I have to go to class, but Jack’s going to hang out with you till tonight,” he announced. Gavin shrugged, glancing briefly at Jack, before turning back to the dryer. Shooting one more thankful look to Jack, he sprinted away.

\--

Geoff strolled to work, not wanting to go in. In the distance, he could hear sirens. He let out a long sigh, wishing that for once, there wouldn’t be drama in the city going on. He wasn’t really in the mood to deal with crimes right then, not when all he wanted to do was go home.

When he arrived at his convenience store, he froze. Where the store used to be was now just a big pile of rubble. Eyes wide, he looked around. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to move forward. He approaches a police officer but is almost too shocked to say anything. “Son, I’m going to have to ask you to take a step back,” a police officer announces as he steps towards the building.

“I…work here?” he said, looking hard at the shop. The police officer sighed.

“Not anymore,” the man muttered under his breath.

Approaching the store, he stared at it. His phone started ringing. Pulling it out, Geoff saw his boss’s number. “Hello?” he asked.

“Oh thank god you’re alive Ramsey. I wasn’t sure if you would have gotten to work yet or not,” his boss spoke, relieved.

“The shops gone,” Geoff replied, still staring. A long sigh came from the other side.

“I know…” The older man said. There was silence. “Go home Geoff, I have to figure out all of this. Don’t worry about work tonight,” the man added. Geoff  nodded, but quickly realized that the man couldn’t see him.

“Thank you, sir,” he replied.

“No problem. I’ll call you when I figure out what to do. I might move you to the other location, but I have to see what I can do. Take care of yourself, Ramsey,” the man said.

“Yes sir, thank you. Have a good night,” he replied. There was a click on the other side of the phone, and the call went dead. Taking a deep breath, he started to turn to walk away before a sick feeling hit him. Jack and Gavin. They were going to meet him there at the shop. Instantly, he felt himself bolt towards his apartment, praying that for whatever reason, they hadn’t left yet.

He could hardly breathe by the time he was at his apartment building, but he gathered all his energy to run up the three flights of stairs, heart pounding. “Please be home,” he mumbled to himself. When he reached the door, he felt his hands shaking as he tried to slam the key into the keyhole.

Flinging the door open, he threw himself into the house and looked around wildly. His body instantly relaxed as Jack looked up at him, slightly confused. She held a deck of cards in one hand, and a box in the other. “Geoff?” she asked, tilting her head. He kneeled, pulling her tightly into a hug. “Geoff? What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I thought…I don’t know. The stores gone, and I just…I told you to meet me there and I just was scared that you guys had already gone,” he admitted. Jack pulled away, eyes wide.

“Another store was targeted?” she said softly. He nodded. “I’m really glad you didn’t have to work then,” she mumbled, reaching for Geoff.  Gavin looked between the two of them but didn’t say any word.


	2. A Deal with the Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geoff likes having Gavin in his life, so he makes a plan to make it permanent, even if that means that he has to make a life-changing deal.

Not working really threw Geoff off. His boss was having a hard time figuring things out, especially since there had been more threats of stores being taken out. He still got paid, which helped, but it made him slightly stir crazy not doing anything.

Eventually though, he fell into a routine. Jack spent a lot of time with them, helping him take care of Gavin. Gavin was slowly warming up to them, being more talkative. The three of them went to second hand stores, getting things for Gavin. Mostly more clothes, but they sometimes splurged to get him other things such as toys.

It only takes a couple of weeks before Geoff had completely grown attached to the kid. He spent his free time, when he wasn’t studying, watching shows with Gavin or playing board games. Gavin slowly started opening more to him, and eventually, like Geoff, Gavin became attached to Geoff.

Geoff learned that Gavin’s mom used to love computers and really knew how to use them, and that Gavin used to watch her work. He learned that they used to go to the park every weekend. He learned that their family had relocated to the United States when Gavin was four. He learned that Gavin was homeschooled, but hated it.

Eventually, Gavin wasn’t so reserved around him anymore, but was open. He was a curious kid, always asking stupid questions and making bets with Geoff. He was practically Geoff’s shadow. It had been a month since Geoff had found Gavin. He knew he should have turned Gavin in, that keeping the kid could really get him in trouble, but he didn’t want to lose Gavin.

\--

Months passed by quickly. He had gotten used to Gavin being around and couldn’t imagine life differently. He felt as though having Gavin around had aged him slightly, probably for the better. He became more aware of choices and learned how to take care of things like an adult would.

School was coming up. Geoff knew he couldn’t teach the kid, not when he had to go to school himself. The only problem, he realized, was the fact that he wasn’t exactly sure how to get Gavin into school without getting in trouble.

He knew there was someone who could help him, though he also knew that getting involved with the person might make things even worse. Still, he didn’t want to take away Gavin’s chance at education.

He pulled out his phone, chewing on his lip. He stared at it awhile, not sure if he really wanted to call. Eventually though, he threw caution to the wind, hitting call.

“Hello?” the voice called out.

“Hey Burnie, its Geoff,” he said reluctantly.

“Geoff! How you doing, buddy?” Burnie hummed into the phone. Geoff swallowed.

“Doing good. Got myself into a situation I kind of need help with, but doing okay. You?” he asked. Burnie chuckled.

“Little Geoffrey got himself in a situation? Shocking. I’d always help you though, what do you need?” Burnie said.

Geoff was silent for a moment, trying to think. Burnie had always been a close friend of the family, the son of his step father’s best friend. Burnie was several years older than him, but he had taken Geoff under his wing. He had become a mentor for Geoff, someone whom Geoff looked up to. He later found out that Burnie had gotten involved in bad things that no one talked about, but Burnie had made it very clear he’d help Geoff whenever.

“I um, I took a kid in, and well, school is coming up, but uh, I don’t have any documentation for him or really anything, and I’m not a legal guardian or anything, and well, apparently he’s not even supposed to be alive or something like that. I just want to get the kid enrolled in school,” he sighed.

“Geoff Ramsey, taking care of a kid? Wow,” Burnie chuckled.

“Shut up,” Geoff grumbled.

“I’m kidding. Let me look up the kid, see if I can get anything on him, but I think I could make some shit up. I could even make you his dad or something like that,” he announced. Geoff felt himself draw a breath.

“I mean…I would have to talk to him first, but I think…I’d like that,” he said softly. He could hardly believe himself. This hadn’t been in his four-year plan after high school. Kids hadn’t even been in his ten-year plan, yet there he was, attached to an eight-year-old pain in the ass.

“Let me know then, shouldn’t be too hard honestly. Anyways, what’s the name?” he asked.

“Gavin Free,” he announced. The man on the other side was quiet.

“You said Free?” Burnie asked.

“Yeah, why?” he asked. Another bout of silence.

“Nothing, I just thought I recognized the last name, hang on though, I’m getting him looked up right now,” Burnie announced. He could hear Burnie typing quickly. “Um, it’s almost as though the kid never existed? There is nothing on him, and if there was, it looks as though anything about him was wiped. Gavin Free doesn’t exist,” he announced. Geoff felt slightly dizzy. He glanced over to the kid who was quietly playing with some toy Jack had picked up for him.

“Are you sure?” he asked softly.

“Yeah man, I wouldn’t lie to you,” Burnie replied. Geoff stared at the kid for a while, not saying anything. “Still there?” he heard.

“Oh uh, yeah. Go ahead, make him be my kid. Make the documents or whatever,” he said softly.

“Sure, no problem. I do need something from you though if I’m going to do all that for you,” Burnie announced. Geoff ripped his eyes from the kid, attention going to listening to the man on the phone.

“Um, sure. Anything,” he said softly.

“Well, I heard that you might have lost your job,” Burnie paused. Geoff grimaced. It had been true, he lost his job because his boss hadn’t been able to recover, especially since another one of his stores had been hit. “So really, it’s helpful for you too, but I want you to come work for me,” Burnie announced.

A job. Geoff chewed his lip. He knew whatever Burnie did wasn’t good, but being jobless had really sucked. He had spent a lot of time doing odd jobs here and there, not doing things that lasted that long. There was lot of yard work, which wasn’t terrible, but didn’t exactly pay all the bills. “Sure. I’ll do it.”

“Excellent. I’ll get you all the files and documents by the end of the week, and I’ll send someone to get you on Monday after class,” Burnie hummed cheerfully. Geoff almost wanted to know how Burnie knew about his class schedule, but realized that it was probably best not to say anything.

“Thank you, Burnie,” Geoff sighed.

“Anytime. See you Monday!”

\--

Geoff and Gavin curled up on the couch, sharing a pot of macaroni while they watched some movie that Gavin had insisted they watch. Geoff glanced over to Gavin, looking slightly nervous. He turned his eyes away from the boy after a moment, eyeing the folder on his table. “Hey, uh, Gavin, I wanted to talk to you about something,” he said, pausing the movie. Gavin pouted for a moment, but looked to Geoff expectantly. “So, um, I know school time is coming soon, and I can’t homeschool you, but we don’t really have anything about you, you know? Someone helped me though, and made it so you could go to school,” he paused, taking a moment to let the news sink in. Gavin looked confused, and Geoff didn’t blame him. He wasn’t sure he’d understand if he was Gavin. “He also made it so I was your legal guardian,” he said softly. This really confused Gavin.

“What does that mean?” he asked. Geoff hesitated.

“It means that I’m kind of in charge of you, I mean it could also mean I’m kind of like your fake dad if you want? I dunno, I guess there’s a lot of meanings, I’m not sure what it really means myself, but it just kind of means that no one will question things,” he said. He knew there would be issues, he knew that being so young would raise a lot of questions, but Gavin was worth it.

Gavin lit up. “So…does that mean you want me to stay here?” he asked. Geoff snorted.

“Kid, you’ve been living here for a couple of months now, if I didn’t want you to, you wouldn’t have been here this long,” he pointed out. Gavin grinned, looking happily.

“Thank you, Geoff,” he hummed.

The movie went abandoned in favor of Geoff and Gavin discussing school and being a family. Geoff couldn’t help but smile at how Gavin’s face lit up, or how excited he got. Sure, Geoff knew that he was barely an adult himself and that he probably couldn’t properly take care of a kid, but right then, he couldn’t care less.


	3. Joining the Crew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Burnie tells Geoff about the job, and Geoff has doubts. After talking to Jack though, he makes a decision.

All day, Geoff had felt nervous. He knew there was something up with Burnie, he knew that the guy was trouble. Even as kids he had known that. Still, a job was a job, and Burnie had helped him out. Geoff explained that he had an interview for a job to Jack, who quickly agreed to watch Gavin.

Like Burnie had promised, there was a car waiting just outside of the building his class was at. Looking around nervously, he stepped closer to the car. A window rolled down, and through the crack, he saw a familiar face. “Hi Geoffrey,” Burnie hummed. Geoff looked at him, taken aback. When Burnie had said he’d send someone for him, he was expecting to just be picked up, not that Burnie himself would come to him. A door opened slightly, and he was motioned to get into the car.

Taking one last glance around, he slid into the car. Burnie was looking at him, pleased to see him. “Hey buddy,” the man hummed. Geoff flashed a small smile at his old friend. They drove in silence for a while, neither looking at each other. Burnie had spent a while looking out the window as if lost in thought. “Have you ever heard of the RT Crew?” he said, thoughtfully. Geoff glanced over to Burnie, shrugging.

“Saw some stuff on the news about them here and there. I know they’re not really that big yet and I know they’re new, but LSPD has them on their radar.  Always careful about protecting their identity, that no one knows what they look like or some shit like that,” Geoff explained, shrugging. Burnie hummed with approval.

Eventually, they came to a stop in front of a small building. Burnie got out, motioning for Geoff to follow. Reluctantly, Geoff climbed out, staring at the building. Burnie started walking, leaving him behind. Once he reached the door, he turned back. “Come one already,” he announced, slipping a key into a lock. Geoff swallowed and moved forward.

Burnie led them into the building, which in Geoff’s opinion, looked kind of sad. They walked down a hallway, and then Burnie stopped at a door. He promptly unlocked in and then stepped inside, flicking on the lights. Geoff followed in, sucking in a breath.

“Welcome to the RT Crew’s base of operation.”

\--

The afternoon was filled with Burnie explaining what was going on to Geoff. He told him how he had formed the group recently, and that he was planning to build an empire. Geoff wasn’t sure why he was doing all this, why he was showing Geoff what he was, or who he really was, but Burnie was just smiling at him, sharing every little detail.

“Do you still remember how to fire a gun?” he asked, smirking at Geoff. Geoff let out a small sigh, nodding. Back when they were kids, his stepdad had taken the time to teach him, making sure he knew how to defend himself. The older man had pointed out that they were in Los Santos, things could go wrong in a blink of an eye and it was better to know how to use weapons than to not know. “Good, I think you’ll fit in pretty decently then,” Burnie hummed, staring at him proudly.

“Excuse me?” Geoff said, biting his lip.

“You’re an old friend, I’ve known you awhile Geoff. I know how you can be, and I know that you’d make a great addition to the RT Crew,” Burnie explained. Geoff sucked in a breath. That was the job Burnie was giving to him. Inwardly, he knew he should have known. “The pay is decent. We’re still pretty new so it’s not like we’re racking in the big money yet, but believe me Geoff, it’ll be great. You’ll be able to pay for school and take care of Gavin, maybe even get out of that shit hole I know you live in,” the man paused, a smirk on his lip. “Hell, you could one day become one of the most powerful men in Los Santos,” he pointed out.

Geoff looked past Burnie. His head was screaming no, knowing that this would only cause him trouble. All he wanted to do was finish school, graduate, and become a Librarian. All he wanted to do was be surrounded by books all day. “Can I think about it?” he asked softly. Burnie snorted softly.

“Yeah, sure, why not. Let me know by the end of the week,” Burnie hummed. Geoff nodded.

\--

Geoff curled up on the couch, Gavin clinging to him as his eyes were glued to the TV. On the other side of Gavin, Jack was sitting crisscross, trying to write notes from one of her textbooks. They were waiting for food to arrive, food that Jack had decided to order for them to celebrate the fact that Geoff had a job interview.

He couldn’t help but look around the apartment from where he was sitting, thinking about what Burnie had said about being able to leave the place. Burnie had been right; the place was a shithole. Half the time the hot water didn’t work, and during the winter, the heat only worked on certain days. The space was cramped up, and there were cracks in the ceiling. In the corner of his room, there was a small hole in the wall, and water stains on the ceiling of the bathroom. He didn’t have a proper room for Gavin, and didn’t even have a proper bed for the kid.

He knew overall, taking the job would be stupid. He’d be risking everything. He could get caught, or even worse, killed. He knew that by taking the job, he could be putting Gavin in danger. He knew that by association, he’d be putting Jack in danger also.

But there were benefits and he knew it. He knew that if he was careful, he’d never be discovered. He’d be able to take care of Gavin, and maybe life would be okay. He’d be able to provide for the two of them, and things would be okay.

\--

Hours later, Gavin had dozed off against him. The cartons from their Chinese food had been set to the side, and the two young adults sat quietly in the room. “How was the interview?” Jack finally asked, glancing to Geoff. Geoff let out a long sigh, shrugging.

“I’m not sure if I want the job. It has a lot more risks than benefits,” he admitted. Jack stared at him for a while.

“Does it pay well?” she asked. Geoff snorted.

“Um, I guess it kind of depends on the day honestly. I don’t think it’s going to be the most stable job, but the man said it’ll pay decently later. It’s not the best job, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder if I should take it, despite it being risky,” he sighed, looking at Jack tiredly.  His friend looked at him sympathetically.

“I don’t know what the job is doing, but if you think you should do it, then maybe you should. Whatever you choose to do, I’ll support you no matter what because that’s what friends do,” she hummed. Geoff glanced over, a small smile cracking on his lips.

“Thanks Jack,” he murmured. His friend leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder. Gavin wiggled slightly but didn’t wake up. Resting his head against Jack’s head, he let out a long breath, mentally deciding that yes, he’d take the job.


	4. Getting Caught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a job goes wrong, Jack finds out about what Geoff's been doing.

There was something thrilling about robbing something. Geoff had never understood why anyone would do it, but the adrenaline that rushed through his body as they robbed a store was addicting. The small crew did odd jobs here and there, most of the time taking out targets or stealing drugs to sell later. Like Burnie had predicted, the money was decent. He made far more than he ever did working at the convenience store.

The RT Crew started to pop up more on the LSPD’s radars. People started to fear the name more, and they became more famous. The more successful the crew became, the bigger it got. Geoff had to admit, he didn’t regret joining the crew at all.

He started saving money up, putting it away so that eventually he could buy a home for him and Gavin. When school started up for the kid, he had proudly been able to purchase everything the kid needed, not having to worry about not being able to provide for Gavin. Gavin loved school, Geoff learned. The kid would come home every day, eagerly talking about what they had done in class, and how he had made new friends. Geoff couldn’t help but feel like a proud father.

 

They moved to a slightly bigger and nicer apartment, one with two bedrooms. Geoff was still saving money, knowing that one day he’d be able to afford a home, but it was nice to get out of his old place. It was nice to be able to afford it and to be able to finally give Gavin his own room. He wasn’t sure if he could ever explain how pleased he was to be able to give Gavin everything. He couldn’t explain how happy it made him that he didn’t have to worry about what they were going to be eating, or if he was going to have enough money for rent. It was nice being able to pay for school for himself, not having to worry about drowning in student debt for the rest of his life.

\--

Geoff knew there was downsides to every job they did. He knew that they wouldn’t always make it out perfectly and that sometimes they’d be put into bad situations. He did dread the idea that somehow, he would get hurt or get caught.  Most of the time, nothing happened. Jobs would go as planned, they’d get out, and they’d split the money.

It wasn’t until a couple of years after Geoff started working with Burnie that things started to get rough. The heist was supposed to be simple, take down Eldric Wiser, get the locations where he hid his drugs, and collect said drugs. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. Eldric had known about the plan and had been waiting at the warehouse.

For the first time since he began working for Burnie, Geoff watched one of his crewmates get killed in action, only a few feet from him. He shot back, taking out the person who killed his crew mate, but not before he himself had gotten shot in the shoulder.

Geoff curled up in pain, feeling dizzy. Burnie was ordering them to get out, but Geoff couldn’t move. In the background, he could hear gun exchanges and yell, but it was almost as though it was all just noise. Everything was just a blur, and as Geoff laid there curled up, hidden from the fight, he was sure he was going to die.

\--

When Geoff woke up, he was in his own bed. He grimaced as he tried to sit up, confused by how he had managed to get there. “Careful,” Jack said softly, appearing next to him. Geoff paled, looking at his friend. “Some man brought you home. Said there had been an issue at work. I think he thought I was your girlfriend or something, I don’t know. He told me he patched you up, but that you might be out of it for a while. You’re lucky that Gavin was asleep when he brought you,” Jack explained, looking at him critically.

Geoff closed his eyes, feeling relieved. He had been sure that he was going to go down, that he’d die in the warehouse. “I couldn’t figure out how you would have gotten shot at work though,” Jack continued after a moment of silence. Geoff tensed up. “Then the news came on about some shooting that took place between two crews down at a shipping warehouse, they knew one of the crews had to be the RT Crew though, a mask had been abandoned there,” she explained, looking at him carefully. Geoff gritted his teeth, avoiding looking at her.

She let out a soft gasp as if putting two and two together. “You were there, weren’t you?” she muttered, shaking her head. “You’re a fucking idiot.” Geoff let out a sigh, looking at her.

“You can’t tell anyone, Jack. You can’t,” he mumbled. Jack snorted softly.

“I was wondering how you had been able to suddenly afford all that stuff, and how you were able to get a nicer apartment. No job out there is that great without someone having a degree,” she snorted, looking around. Geoff looked at her nervously. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to rat you out. You’re my best friend, it’d be pretty damn stupid of me if I did that,” she added. Geoff relaxed again, feeling grateful.

“However, I want to help,” she announced. Geoff’s eyes went wide quickly, and he began to shake his head.

“No. Not going to happen. Not a chance,” he growled.

\--

Burnie raised an eyebrow, looking between Geoff and Jack. He was slightly amused, looking at Geoff who looked very defeated. “So, let me get this straight, your boyfriend comes home with an injury and that makes you decide that you want to join the crew with him?”

Jack snorted softly. “Firstly, he’s not my boyfriend. Also, I’ve had my suspicions for a while now that Geoff was doing something shady and finding out the truth was kind of great. Thirdly, I think I could be useful. I’m a great driver, never had a ticket or accident in my life, so all else fails, I have getaway driver written all over me. I also know how to shoot a gun, and if the news said anything, it was that you just lost a member of your crew and could use another gunman. Lastly, I do know how to fly, so if you’re ever needing a pilot, I’m your girl,” she hummed. Geoff looked up quickly, eyes wide.

“You can fly?!” he gasped. Jack shrugged, nodding. “When did you learn how to do that?”

“In high school. My dad used to work at McKenzie Field. He taught me how to fly. You never asked so I never told you,” she explained. Geoff shook his head. He knew this was a bad idea. He knew he should never have agreed to let Jack meet Burnie.

“We’ll test you out, see how you work with the crew, then I’ll think about hiring you,” Burnie announced, looking amused. Jack just nodded, looking pleased. Geoff looked at Burnie hard, quickly shaking his head.

“Burnie, I-” he started but felt Jack swat at him.

\--

It turned out that having Jack on the team was useful. It felt nice having Jack by his side, no matter how much he hated to admit it. Jack quickly became a part of the crew, impressing Burnie enough. Geoff still wasn’t too pleased that Jack was in on it, but he realized quickly that it didn’t matter how he felt about it, Jack was there to stay.

As time passed, Geoff was grateful for having his best friend at his side. They were a pretty good duo, practically unstoppable and inseparable. Most of the time, after a job, they’d come home to Gavin, pretending everything was normal, and eat dinner together before Jack would wander home unless she spent the night. To Gavin, they both worked at the same place doing something important, but both were careful not to let Gavin figure out what they did.

Geoff wasn’t sure how exactly they had been so lucky that they were able to maintain a regular life. He wasn’t sure how no one had figured out who they were. He wasn’t sure how either of them had managed to make it through college, or the fact that he was raising Gavin somewhat successfully. Eventually, they graduated and Geoff went on to get his masters. Time went flying past him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! I'm really sorry about the lack of update on Friday! I meant to publish the update then, but life and school is really crazy and I haven't had really any time at all. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter though!


	5. Realizing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the help of Gavin, Geoff realizes that his feelings for his best friend isn't strictly platonic.

“How come you’ve never asked Jack out?” Gavin asked while he was scribbling down answers for his homework. Geoff froze, looking at the sixteen-year-old.

“What do you mean, Gav?” he asked, chewing his lip. Gavin shrugged, glancing up.

“I don’t know, you’re always together, and I’ve seen how you look at her, and I know she likes you,” he explained, going back to writing. Geoff gaped at him, not sure what to say. “And besides, if she didn’t like you, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have stuck around,” he added.

The words rang in his head most of the night, and leaving Geoff to struggle with the idea. Feelings for Jack, it was such a strange concept. He had known Jack since eighth grade, and they had become instant best friends. Most of their classes had been together, and they shared a lot of the same interests. Geoff had been the first-person Jack had told when she had realized that she identified as female, and had been there the whole time as his friend transitioned. They had even gone to prom together as friends, but Geoff hadn’t ever given a thought towards having feelings for his friend.

He knew that they had always been touchier than friends probably should be. There had been several nights after jobs that they had curled up on the couch, cuddling, as they got over the exhaustion from the day. He had never felt uncomfortable when they slept together, and had always enjoyed it when he woke up to the two of them curled up together. He never had thought about the fact that Jack made him happy.

_ Oh. _

It all made sense to Geoff. He sat at the table, staring dumbly at his kid as he processed it. Gavin shot a smirk towards him, proud of himself. “Knew it,” he teased, getting up. Geoff watched as Gavin walked away with his homework, and he could faintly hear a door closing.

\--

Talking to Jack about feelings proved to be difficult. He knew he had plenty of chances to tell her, but it never seemed like the proper time. Every time he tried to bring it up, something would happen, making it nearly impossible.

He worked up his nerves and after a successful heist, he decided it was the proper time to tell her. He worked himself up, knowing that he’d need all the courage he’d get, but once they got back to the crew site, he noticed Jack was in a hurry.

“Are you coming over tonight?” he asked hopefully, watching his friend collect her things. She looked up briefly, shaking her head.

“I got a date,” she announced quickly, going back to changing her shoes. Geoff’s heart dropped, disappointed.

“Oh yeah? Since when do you go on dates?” he teased. Jack flashed a brief smile towards him.

“Since I decided I was tired of waiting for something that was never going to happen,” she said, walking past him. He stood still, rooted to the ground.  _ Oh. _

\--

Jack didn’t spend nearly as much time around his apartment, always seeming to go out with her new boyfriend. Geoff tried not to let it bother him. He tried to ignore the pangs of sadness whenever he saw Jack out with the guy, flirting and being coupley. He tried not to let it get to him when Gavin asked where Jack was.

He threw himself into working more, only bothering to talk to Jack when they were on heists. He had managed to secure a job at the local high school library. Sure, he would have preferred to work at the public library, but working at the school wasn’t too bad. The kids loved him, and he once Gavin was in high school, he could keep a closer eye on the kid. It was nice in his opinion, and when he was working at the school, he felt like a normal guy, not some heartbroken criminal that just happened to have been terrorizing the city for the last eight years.

It was late when he heard a knocking on the front door. Rubbing his eyes, he tiredly got up. He noted the dim light from under Gavin’s door as he walked past the room, but didn’t say anything. Geoff peaked through the peak hole, tilting his head as he saw who was standing at the door. Confused, he opened the door, staring at his friend.

“Jack?” he said softly. Jack moved past him into the apartment. Confused, he closed the door behind her. He watched her disappear into the apartment, not looking back. Blinking, he followed behind her, confused by what was happening.

He caught a glimpse of her walking into his bedroom. Unsure, he walked in. “Jack?” he said again, softer this time. Jack turned towards him, silently staring at him for a moment before walking up to him. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her lips against his. Geoff stood rooted to the ground, eyes wide. He wasn’t sure how to react at first, but he eventually found himself kissing back.

She pulled back, staring at him again before leading him towards his bed.

\--

Geoff heard his alarm going off. He let out a loud groan, not appreciating the noise. That had been the downside of working at the high school, he had to get up early to get to work on time. Next to him he could hear slow breathing, an arm hugging him.

He briefly felt confused, turning slightly as he came face to face with his best friend. Moving had caused her to stir, and he watched as her eyes slowly blink open. “Hi,” she murmured.

“Hi,” he murmured back, still staring at her. “Last night…” he started, not sure what to say. She chuckled, nodding.

“I thought you were dating that guy,” he said. She shook her head, looking sad.

“We broke up a couple of weeks ago,” she admitted. Geoff blinked, confused.

“What?”

“We didn’t have much in common, and as much as I tried to like him, I couldn’t,” she admitted. He stared at her, slightly shocked. “I got tired of waiting. I’ve been waiting for a long time for you to make a move, and you never did. So, I thought I could date someone else and move on, but that didn’t work. So, I decided to take matters in my own hands,” she explained, motioning to them.

“Oh,” he mumbled, eyes locked on her. “I…was going to ask, but I lost my nerve,” he admitted. She snorted.

“Yeah, I noticed.”

They laid together quietly, neither moving until Geoff’s second alarm went off. “I have to get ready for work,” he groaned slightly, though he mentally wished that he could just stay there with Jack. Jack chuckled, sitting up slightly.

“Go get ready, idiot.”

\--

Geoff walked out of his room, smelling coffee coming from the kitchen. Gavin was sitting at the dining room table, smirking at him as he walked in. Geoff shot a look at him, walking past him. Inside the kitchen he saw Jack standing next to a coffee pot, a cup of coffee in her hands. When she noticed him, she ushered her hands towards a cup sitting next to the coffee pot.

“When you get home tonight…we should talk,” she murmured. He nodded, chewing his lip. Yeah, talking, he knew that they had to talk.

Jack leaned in, pressing a quick kiss against Geoff's lips. It was a weird sensation, getting kissed by his best friend, but Geoff wasn't about to complain. They stood there do a moment, getting lost in the kiss, before pulling apart as they heard a throat being cleared.

"Sorry to interrupt but Geoff, we need to go to school..." Gavin announced. The same smirk was still glued to his lips. Geoff let out a long sigh, knowing that Gavin was right. Reluctantly, Geoff reached up for his travel mug, knowing he'd have to take his coffee to go.

\--

"You didn't um, hear us last night, did you?" Geoff asked awkwardly as he drove the two of them to the school. Gavin let out a loud snort.

"Nope. Had my earphones in. I was working on a project, so I wasn't paying attention to whatever the two of you were doing last night," Gavin hummed, looking amused. "Saw jack this morning though, figured it out pretty damn quick," he teased. Geoff flushed. "I'm glad though, Geoffrey. It's about time."

Geoff smiled slightly, knowing Gavin was correct. As they parked in Geoff's usual spot, Gavin turned to him, smirking. "Give me some warning though if you guys do plan on doing  anything though, it'd be nice not to have to hear the two of you," he hummed, getting out and leaving Geoff behind.

\--

The day had felt abnormally long, and all Geoff wanted to do was finish the day so that he could get back home and talk to Jack. He tapped his foot, watching the clock like a hawk. He knew it was his turn to stay later for the kids who did after school tutoring, but he knew that once that was done, he’d be able to escape home.

Once the library was cleared out, he rushed home. Gavin had left previously, going home with a friend. “We have a class project,” Gavin had announced, though he looked too eager to be going to do a class project. Still, he wasn’t going to complain about the potential for having a few hours alone with Jack.

When he got home, Jack was resting on the couch, reading a book. Geoff raised an eyebrow, eyeing the book. “That’s a good one, one of my favorites,” he hummed, sitting down next to his friend. Jack looked up from the book, smiling.

“I figured you would care if I went through your bookshelf, you never cared before,” she hummed, closing the book. Geoff shook his head.

“Not at all. Read away honestly,” he replied. The two of them stared at each other awkwardly for a moment, eyes locked on each other. “So…last night,” he said, trying to start the conversation.

“I don’t regret it,” Jack quickly said. Geoff immediately shook his head.

“I don’t either. I just want to know where that puts us,” he replied, chewing his lip.

“I think I would lik-”

Jack froze as Geoff’s work phone started ringing. Letting out a long sigh, Geoff shook his head.

“Sorry…” He mumbled, answering it.

“Hey Geoff, it’s Burnie. I need you to do something for me,” Burnie spoke. Geoff tried not to groan.

“Yeah, what’s up?” He asked, looking over to Jack, who just shrugged.

“I need you to go fetch someone and recruit them. I’ve recently found out that there is a pretty decent gun for hire down south, good at what he does, and I want him. They call him the Vagabond,” Burnie announced. Geoff’s body shagged. “I’ll come up with an excuse for you to get out of work, but I’m pretty sure it shouldn’t take long to get the guy. I’m pretty sure that you’ll be able to get the guy before the end of the weekend,” his boss explained.

“Okay, got it. When do I leave?” he asked.

“Tonight. It’s Friday, that’ll give you two days to get him and be back,” Burnie replied quickly. Geoff closed his eyes, nodding.

“Got it, how exactly am I getting there?” he asked. There was a chuckle on the other end.

“Don’t worry about that, I got a ticket for you. Your flight leaves in two hours. I’ll send someone to get you, and they’ll have your ticket,” the man announced. Geoff gritted his teeth. “Good luck Buddy,” Burnie added, and clicked the phone off.

“Thanks for the short notice, Burnie. Not like I have a kid or anything,” he muttered.

“I’ll take care of Gavin,” Jack murmured. Geoff sighed out, looking at her thankful. He knew that Gavin couple probably take care of himself, but he knew he felt better with Jack being there.

“I’ll have to take a raincheck on the whole what now talk,” Geoff mumbled. Jack laughed softly, leaning forward to hug Geoff.

“I’ll be here waiting for you, don’t worry.”

\--

Finding the Vagabond was easier said than done, Geoff realized. Luckily, Burnie had enough contacts that eventually, they had sat up a meeting. He had to admit, when the contacts had heard that Geoff was wanting to meet up with the Vagabond, every had looked at him insane, and this hadn’t been sitting very well with him.

He stared at his watch, knowing that at any moment, the man would show up. He kept a hand on the gun he had borrowed, alert to what was going on around him. He supposed that borrowed was a strong word for how he had gotten his hand on a gun, but he wasn’t about to admit what he had done.

A man with a mask approached him, but neither said anything. Geoff swallowed hard, praying his own mask was on securely. “Vagabond?” he called out. The man tilted his head, but nodded. Geoff took a deep breath. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me,” he started, feeling nerves wrack him.

“I’m always willing to meet a client looking for a job to be done,” the man replied. Geoff sucked in a breath.

“My crew would like to offer you more than just a job, Vagabond,” Geoff started. The other man stared at him, or at least he assumed that the man was staring at him.

“What are you offering?” he asked. Geoff hesitated, but took a deep breath.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of the RT Crew in Los Santos, but our boss is very interested in having you be a part of the crew. He is very impressed with your work,” he explained. The Vagabond snorted slightly.

“Is your boss aware that I don’t do crews?” the man spoke. Geoff gritted his teeth.

“That has been mentioned, yes, but we were hoping you would reconsider. He is more than will to negotiate with you back in Los Santos if you were willing to. He already has an open ticket for you if you were willing to at least meet,” he replied.

“He’s that confident that you’ll be able to get me to come with you?” the Vagabond replied.

“You have no idea. He called me randomly yesterday to send me to get you without any warning, so he’s very determined,” Geoff replied. The other man snorted slightly.

“I make no promises I’ll accept, but I’ll go,” the man said after a long bout of silence. Geoff was taken aback, surprised at how fast the man had agreed to go to Los Santos. Geoff quickly handed over a folder, still shocked at how fast it had gone.

“I personally will be leaving tomorrow, but take your time. Though my boss would prefer you come sooner rather than later,” he announced. The Vagabond nodded.

“I’ll be ready tomorrow.”

\--

Geoff glanced around, looking curiously at all the men at his gate. He wondered if one of them was the Vagabond. He had to admit he was curious about what the man looked like. The flight began boarding, causing Geoff to stop looking over the crowd.

Geoff settled into his seat, mentally preparing for his long flight back to Los Santos.

“Sorry, um, I’m in 14A,” a man spoke. Geoff looked up, eyes meeting with a handsome stranger.

“Oh yeah, sorry,” he said, getting up. The man just smiled at him, crawling over to the window seat. They were silent for a while, waiting for the plane to take off. “What’s got you going to Los Santos?” He asked after a while, glancing over to the handsome man sitting next to him.

“Never been, I decided it was time for a change,” the man replied. “You?”

“Eh, its home,” he shrugged. The man nodded, looking around slightly. There was a small jolt in the plane, causing the man to grip his seat tightly. “First time flying?” he asked. The man nodded slowly.

“Never really had a reason to leave Georgia before,” he admitted. Geoff chuckled.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be okay. I’m Geoff by the way,” he said, sticking his hand out to introduce himself.

“Ryan.”

\--

The flight had gone by surprisingly easy. He learned that the man was young, barely twenty-one, and had no idea what he was doing with his life. Geoff had honestly never related to someone so quickly. Eventually though, the flight had ended.

He quickly said goodbye to Ryan, wishing him luck with his adventure in Los Santos. Ryan just smiled and went his own way. Geoff couldn’t help but feel grateful that he was back home. He shot off a quick text to Burnie, announcing that he’s back and that he should expect a visit from the Vagabond soon.

Geoff eagerly headed home, excited to see both Gavin and Jack once again, except when he got home, no one was home, much to his disappointment. Sighing out, Geoff sleepily threw himself on the couch, waiting for the two to return home.

\--

Geoff jolted awake to the sound of a door closing. He perked up when he saw Jack and Gavin, both smiling excitedly. “Geoffrey!” Gavin cheered, jumping on top of the older man.

“Fucking Christ, you’re not a little kid anymore Gavin,” Geoff muttered, but hugged the kid.

“How was the trip?” Jack asked. Geoff shrugged.

“I think it went pretty well,” he said, trying to keep it vague.

“Did you get me anything?” Gavin asked curiously. Geoff let out a sigh, shaking his head. He pointed towards his backpack, motioning for Gavin to look.

“Second large pocket,” he muttered. Jack looked at him curiously.

“Did you get  _ me _ anything?” she asked. Geoff nodded, staring up at her. She looked at him happily, beaming. He got up just as Gavin found his souvenir, looking pleased with what Geoff had gotten him. Geoff leaned down, reaching past Gavin into the same pocket. He started to pull out a box, but stopped.

“Think you could wait till later?” he said softly. Jack nodded.

\--

Gavin had eventually gotten bored, and had announced he had a project to work on in his room. Geoff had just rolled his eyes, waving Gavin off as the kid disappeared. Jack and Geoff sat next to each other silently, cuddling on the couch.

“So how was the mysterious Vagabond?” Jack asked. Geoff shrugged.

“Honestly? Everyone was shared shitless when I mentioned him, but he wasn’t that scary looking. I’m looking forward to seeing him in action though,” he explained.  Jack let out a soft chuckle.

“I hope I get to meet this Vagabond then,” she hummed, winking at Geoff.

They continued to cuddle, enjoying the feeling of being next to each other again. "Let's go on a date," Geoff said softly. Jack lifted her head, surprised.

"Really?" She asked. Geoff nodded. "Okay," she murmured, looking happily off.

"I don't know where we honestly are romantically or anything but I do know I've wasted too much time without you," he murmured, kissing the top of Jack's head. The red head blushed, though looked pleased by the words.

Geoff reached for his backpack, pulling out a small box. He handed it to Jack, looking at her carefully. "It's not much, and honestly I wish I could have gotten the real thing, but for now I hope this is okay," he murmured. Jack stared at the box for a moment before taking it. She opened it slowly, a blush on her face.

She sucked in a breath, looking up to Geoff. "It's beautiful," she hummed, staring at it lovingly. He had seen the necklace at a street vendor, who at the time claimed it was a real pearl, but Geoff had been able to tell it was fake. It was simple chain with a tiny teardrop pearl pendant. Despite the fact that he knew it was fake, he thought it was gorgeous, and that it would look nice on Jack.

"One day I'll get you the real thing," he promised. Jack shook her head.

"This is perfect, absolutely perfect. I love it," she said softly, leaning up to kiss him.


	6. Enter the Fake AH Crew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a tragedy strikes the RT Crew, a request is made to Geoff.

Life, in Geoff's opinion, was perfect. He had two jobs he absolutely loved, he was dating his best friend, and he had a perfect little family. He, Jack, and Gavin were figuring out colleges for Gavin to go to, and Gavin’s eighteenth birthday was just around the corner. Things were going well, until they weren't.

The heist had been simple. Word on the street was that a rival crew was planning to rob the bank, but Burnie decided he wanted to do it first. They had planned it out carefully. The Vagabond would take out the police officers, Burnie would take down all the systems of the bank, and then he and Geoff would rob it while the rest of the crew helped the Vagabond take down anyone standing in their way. Jack would then drive the getaway car, and they'd be sitting pretty. "The payout should be huge," Burnie had boasted.

It had gone smoothly, just as Burnie had predicted. Geoff pointed his gun at a teller, demanding the money handed over while Burnie was elsewhere in the bank, accessing the real money. Geoff knew he had to keep everyone occupied and distracted. He pointed his gun upwards, shooting twice. A loud round of screams echoed through the bank.

"I got the money," Burnie hissed into the radio. Geoff leaned forward, taking the bags of cash from the teller who had been filling the cash for him.

"Thanks ma'am," he hummed happily, giving out two more shots in the air before quickly backing away. He kept his eyes on the crowd, aiming whenever someone tried to get up.

Geoff darted out of the bank towards the alley he knew Jack was waiting. Moments later, he saw Burnie approach, with the rest of the crew following closely behind.

As Burnie stepped in front of the car, he handed the money over to Geoff. Suddenly, everything started happening fast. Before anyone had time to react, Burnie was on the ground, gasping for breath. Eyes wide, Geoff frozen for a moment, trying to process what had just happened.

The Vagabond leaned over, picking up their boss and getting him into the car. Jack immediately slammed on the gas, determined to get away as fast as possible.

\--  
Things didn't look well for Burnie, Geoff realized. The man was looking blood, and kept fading in an out of consciousness. Even though their medical contact did their best to patch Burnie up, the odds, they found out, were slim to nothing for Burnie to recover.

Geoff sat by the bed of his old friend, eyes down casted. He knew it could have easily been him in that position.

"Hey Geoff?" A strangled voice croaked. Geoff looked up, eyes on Burnie. "I need you to do a favor for me."

Geoff nodded immediately. "Anything," he replied quickly. Burnie grimaced as he attempted to smile.

"Take care of the crew for me, yeah?" He said. Geoff looked taken aback, surprised.

"I..." he stared, unable to say anything.

"Promise me you'll take care of them," Burnie said. Geoff nodded slowly, unsure if he could say anything else. Burnie relaxed slightly.

\--  
Geoff had eventually gone home, although he had been reluctant to leave Burnie.

It was two am when received the call.

"Burnie is gone," Gus said tiredly over the phone. Jack looked over at him, face twisted with sadness. They held each other for a long time that night, crying over the loss of their friend.  
\---  
Taking control of a crew was daunting. Especially when many members were angry that he of all people got appointed as the new boss. Geoff watched as one by one fellow crew members started detaching and leaving him behind. It was frustrating, especially since he knew he wasn’t keeping his promise to Burnie. Jack stayed by his side. “I promise you, I’ll never leave,” she hummed. The most surprising thing, in his opinion, was the fact that the Vagabond had agreed that he would also stay.

What started out as a crew with over ten members quickly became a crew of three. Geoff couldn’t help but feel that he let Burnie down, but he knew that it was probably for the best that he didn’t force people to stay.

They continued doing jobs here and there, making use of old contacts. Sure, their talents weren’t as diverse anymore, but they still got the job done. They adopted a new name, the Fakes. Geoff couldn’t bring himself to continue being known as the RT crew, it just didn’t seem right.

Geoff made a promise to himself that one day, he’d find out who killed Burnie, and when he did, he was going to take them down without any mercy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At first, I wasn't sure if this counted as a major character death, but he plays a really large role in connection later on to both Gavin and in the future a lot of other things. I feel really bad killing him off, however, he will be back in almost every one of the origin stories in some form, the only ones he doesn't appear in at all is Michael and Jeremy's, though he may have a role in Jeremy's, I just don't know yet. Thank you guys for reading and for all the comments and kudos you've given me! The next part of the story will be posted next wednesday, though who it'll be i'm not 100% sure yet.


	7. Bonus Chapter: The First Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Gavin's first Christmas with Geoff and he really wants to make it memorable for Gavin. So he hatches up a plan to get out of Los Santos for a day and give Gavin the best Christmas he can.
> 
> \--  
> Prompt I used:  
> I’ve never seen snow in person before, until now, what is this white stuff falling from the sky? Why are you laughing at me?

Having money meant that Geoff actually got to do fun things whenever he wanted, wherever he wanted. He wanted to have a memorable Christmas for Gavin since it was the first Christmas they were celebrating together, and he wanted it to be the best Christmas he could possibly

When he told Jack about his plan to go somewhere, Jack had immediately been all for the idea, suggesting places that they could go that was nearby or what they could do at home. Geoff hesitated. “I uh, wanted to go somewhere with snow. I’ve always lived somewhere that doesn’t get snow, but I kind of associate Christmas with snow,” he admitted. Jack’s eyes lit up and immediately started looking up places on her phone.

After looking through suggestions, and places to go, Jack seemed to find somewhere that sounded perfect. Of course, when he thought about places he could spend for Christmas, Missouri hadn’t exactly been on his list of places to go. “It literally calls it a winter wonderland Geoff, and the cabins have Christmas trees _inside,_ you two could literally go somewhere and still have a Christmas tree!” she announced excitedly. Geoff chuckled at her excitement. Missouri it was then. “I wish I could go with you, it looks so nice!” She sighed, still looking through all the things to do at the resort.

Geoff raised an eyebrow. “You do realize that I want you to come too, right?” he said as if it had been obvious. Jack blushed immediately. “Jack, honestly, I’m pretty sure the kid would be pissed off if I didn’t bring you. I know he likes me and all, but he seems to always follow you around and always is asking when you’re coming over,” he explained. Jack gave a small smile, feeling warm inside.

\--

It was the two days before Christmas, yet, surprisingly, the Los Santos Airport wasn’t that busy. Geoff had wanted to leave sooner, but Burnie had planned a job for him that had prevented that. It had been difficult coming up with excuses for why they were leaving so late, especially since Jack had planned on activities they could do, but eventually, she had just accepted the facts.

Getting to Missouri was interesting. Geoff wasn’t sure if it was Gavin’s first time flying or not, but the kid seemed more than excited about going through security, let alone the actual airport itself. Of course, when they got to their gate, he seemed to just get even more excited.

The three of them camped out in a corner until it was time to board. Gavin wouldn’t stop squawking about how excited he was to be going on a trip with them, and he couldn’t wait to ride an airplane. It was almost amusing how excited the kid was. In the months since he started living with him, Geoff had noticed that the kid had really started to open up, and it was almost as though he was a normal kid.

Gavin had claimed the window seat, not that Geoff really minded too much. It kept Gavin entertained as they waited for the plane to take off. He mentally hoped that Gavin would fall asleep at some point, though that was mostly due to the fact that he hoped to take a nap himself.  Jack was sitting next to Gavin, keeping him entertained when looking out the window had become too boring for Gavin.

Geoff wasn’t entirely sure when it had happened, but at some point, he looked over and saw Jack and Gavin quietly napping. Jack had pushed up the armrest, and Gavin was curled up against her side. Geoff looked at the two for a moment, a smile on his lips.

\--

When they arrived at their cabin, they were all exhausted, despite the nap on the plane. Gavin had fallen back asleep on the ride to the cabin. Geoff and Jack were both more than ready to go to bed, and the moment Geoff had tucked Gavin into bed, he had dragged himself toward the bed in the private room.

Jack followed behind, both too tired to care about their sleeping arrangments. It wasn’t like they hadn’t slept together before, and Geoff knew that he slept a lot better when Jack was next to him. There was something relaxing about having his best friend next to him.

The beds were more comfortable than he had expected, but then again, his mattress at home wasn’t particularly that great. The moment that his head hit the pillow though, and the two of them had found comfortable positions, he had quickly drifted off to sleep.

\--  
When Geoff woke up that morning, he realized that he and Jack weren’t alone anymore. Gavin was cuddled up between the two. Geoff shifted, trying to untangle himself from the small boy, but this only caused Gavin to let out a small groan and pop open his eyes. “Hey buddy,” Geoff whispered, watching Gavin sleepily rub his eyes. Jack didn’t move at all, instead just giving a soft snore. Geoff quietly got out of bed and motioned for the drowsy boy to follow him. Shutting the door behind him, he led the two of them outside.

“How’d you end up in my bed, Gavin?” Geoff asked, looking around the room for any signs of a coffee pot and coffee. Eventually, his eyes fell on a coffee maker and he started to brew up some coffee.  
Gavin shrugged. “I dunno...I just wanted to,” he admitted. Geoff had noticed that the boy had been getting progressively more and more cuddling over the past couple of months. “I’ll sleep in my own bed tonight,” he announced. Geoff shook his head.

“Nah, it’s okay, I don’t mind it, I was just curious,” he hummed, glancing out the window. A smile crossed his face as he saw snow falling. “Hey, how would you feel about going outside with me?” Geoff grinned. Gavin shrugged. “Get your coat on then. And those mittens I got you the other day,” he announced, pointing to Gavin’s suitcase. Gavin did what he was told while Geoff put his own coat on.

Geoff partially wished that he had prepared better and had bought Gavin proper snow gear, though that was something that no one would find in Los Santos. He made a mental note to check with the front office later to see if they had any loaner gear for them to use.

When Geoff opened the door, he was almost beaming. It wasn’t the first time he had seen snow. In fact, he had seen it several times, even if he had never had a white Christmas. Looking back at Gavin, he saw the look of confusion on the boy’s face. “What’s wrong Gav?” he asked, taking a step out. Gavin seemed hesitant to even take a step out.

“What is that?” he asked, pointing to the snow. Geoff faltered. Was this a joke, or had the kid never seen snow?

“Why don’t you come out and find out?” he asked. Gavin again looked very reluctant but took a step out. Geoff could hear as the snow crunched under Gavin’s feet. Geoff reached behind Gavin, pulling the door closed. Gavin just stared around him, looking almost amazed. “Do you really not know what this is?”Geoff gasped. Gavin shook his head.

“Nope,” he said, looking embarrassed. Geoff was genuinely shocked. How had this kid never seen snow before?

“This white stuff is called snow. When the temperature gets to a certain point, sometimes it freezes and becomes snow. You can do all sorts of things, like snowball fights, snow angels, and making snowmen,” he explained, reaching down to ball up a snowball. He then started to roll it, trying to make a decent start to a snowman’s bottom.

When he was satisfied with the starting size, he motioned for Gavin to join him. “See if you roll this around, it’ll get bigger, and then we can make it into a snowman,” he said. Gavin looked at the snowball on the ground and started to slowly roll it around. Geoff watched as the bigger it got, the more Gavin seemed to enjoy it.

They stayed outside working on their snowman until it was finished, despite Geoff pointing out that they should take a break and warm up. Gavin had refused though, more than determined to finish it up. They were both soaking wet, having not worn proper clothes out there, but as they finished the snowman, Geoff saw that Gavin had the biggest smile on his face.

That right there, he realized, made this whole trip worth it.

He knew that no matter what, this was going to be the best Christmas ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh so, I'm trying to do a prompt a day (and failing). It might possibly be an excuse not to work on/study for finals/distraction... I figured i'd throw in bonuses here and there hopefully!


End file.
